The After
by Wounded Melody
Summary: After the final battle has come to an end, Lawfer and Arngrim continue to learn more about one another. Fic contains SPOILERS for the game. Will contain m/m in future chapters.


"The After": prologue  
A Valkyrie Profile Fan Fic  
by Wounded Melody (AKA Lithium Flower and Temple Priestess)  
Valkyrie Profile & characters belong to Square-Enix, et al

Lawfer sat down in the grass next to Arngrim, who lay sprawled out on his  
back, hands behind his head. The two of them often came to this hill to  
sit and talk or to merely watch the simple beauty of the golden leaves  
spiraling down from the heavens. The blonde warrior looked over at Arngrim,  
who had closed his eyes and seemed to be lost in sleep. With his eyes  
closed, the scar that ran down the left side of his face was clearly  
visible. Arngrim was lucky not to have lost his eye from such a wound.

It was a mystery to everyone, even Arngrim's own brother, as to how he had  
come by that scar. The dark haired warrior never talked about it and  
Lawfer was hesitant, even afraid, to ask him outright. He didn't want to  
stir up some best-forgotten memory by asking something so personal. The  
origin of his scar was just as mysterious as Arngrim himself. Although the  
older man was friendly enough with all of the soldiers, he never revealed  
anything about himself, about his life before he had met Lawfer and the  
others.

Lawfer gazed at his sleeping friend, wondering how he could ever relax like  
this, when the world seemed to be plunging into madness more and more each  
day? Perhaps it was this place, an isolated hilltop, which made him feel  
as if the rest of Midgard did not exist. Here there was only peace and  
quietness and safety. Here there was only the two of them.

As the young man studied Arngrim's face, he unconsciously reached out his hand  
towards the scar, as if simply touching it would reveal all the secrets his  
friend had hidden away.

"You're wondering how I got that scar?"

Lawfer gasped and pulled his hand back quickly as Arngrim spoke suddenly, his  
eyes still remaining closed. He should have known that a warrior as skilled  
as Arngrim would immediately sense anyone coming near him.

"What's wrong with you?" Arngrim finally opened his eyes when Lawfer did not  
respond to his original question. He sat up and looked questioningly at the  
blonde.

"N-nothing," Lawfer stammered, suddenly feeling very nervous, "I-I shouldn't  
have woken you. I'm sorry."

Arngrim grinned and laughed softly as his friend started to blush furiously,  
but his expression became somber as his hand went up to his face and he  
traced the path of the scar with his fingertips--from his brow, over his  
eye and down his cheek. It seemed to Lawfer that there were times when Arngrim  
could still feel the pain in this old wound, as fresh as the day it marked him.  
Lawfer's hazel eyes watched his movements intently; he could see a brief moment  
of sadness flash in Arngrim's eyes and he felt terrible for causing his friend to  
relive some surely awful moment.

Lawfer expected his friend to stand up and leave, even utter some curse at  
him for ruining the peace he had found for too brief a time. He never  
expected that Arngrim would move so close to him that he was nearly on top  
of the blonde, their faces bare inches apart. The young warrior fell back  
onto the grass in surprise, his hands clutching at the dew covered blades.

"Everyone has a past, Lawfer. Everyone has secrets." Arngrim spoke softly,  
which was uncharacteristic of him. His warm breath brushed against Lawfer's  
lips with each word. "Secrets should only be told to someone you can trust.  
You have to be sure that the trust is real or you will destroy yourself."

"...destroy yourself...?" Lawfer murmured, eyes locked on the face before  
him. Arngrim's near black eyes gazed back through half shut lids, like a  
lover whispering endearments in the night. This image clashed with what  
Lawfer knew him to be--a fierce, even uncontrollable, warrior, not someone  
who could easily be kind or gentle. Lawfer could not consciously combine  
the two and he was left in a half confused daze, barely registering the  
words Arngrim spoke.

"Yes, destroy." Arngrim leaned in closer as if to whisper some unspeakable  
secret. "If you trust someone with your heart and your soul and they betray  
you, it is better to pray for death than to live one moment longer." A note  
of sorrow resonated in these last words and Lawfer could almost swear that he  
saw a glistening in those dark eyes before Arngrim drew back and stood up. His  
usual expression returned to his face as Lawfer just stared in wonder,  
unsure if he was dreaming...he had to be.

Any hopes of him being asleep were broken as Arngrim grabbed his hand and roughly  
pulled him to his feet.

"We have to be getting back," he reminded Lawfer. "The training sessions will  
begin shortly." Lawfer nodded, mute, as he followed Arngrim down the hillside.  
The wind picked up, scattering golden leaves all around them, the rustling  
breaking the silence. Arngrim glanced over his shoulder and whispered so quietly  
that Lawfer could barely hear him above the sound of the wind swept leaves.

"One day I'll tell you how I got this scar."

.:tbc:.


End file.
